What You Fear Most
by Jesse Cullen
Summary: Sam and Dean take shelter in an abandoned house where a Fear Demon makes each of them face their greatest fears and ultimately their most dreaded fear of all.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I do not own Sam or Dean...yet...but when I do...it'll make Wincest look like a G rated Disney Romance. Also, this takes place in what I'd imagine to be season four, even though it hasn't aired yet. Rated for language, violence, suggestive themes and sugar cane.**

**Summary: Sam and Dean take shelter from a storm in an abandoned Bed and Breakfast for the night. There a Fear Demon forces them each to face what they fear the most...loosing each other.**

**oooOOOoooOOOoooOOOooo**

They'd been called away to deal with a false alarm, something to do with a posessed house. So many hoaxes lately. It was incredible, seeing as they'd let so many demons into the world when they'd opened the Hell Gate. All they'd ever faced recently was a feral Dean, who, after clawing his way out of Hell, had become something less than human, and a ghost of a vengeful japanese woman.

Both had been trying in themselves, especially the former. The only way to make Dean snap out of being a primal monster was to spill the blood of the one who loved him the most, meaning Sam. Most foolishly, San had been about to run himself through with a sword when Ruby, in all her cryptic glory, had shown up, seemingly alive and free of Lilith's posession.

What had followed was a rather lengthy and pathetic attempt at anger on Sam's part. Ruby had explained that Lilith wasn't dead, and that she'd managed to find her way back to her human host. As proof, she showed him that her demonic eyes were black, not white.

Ruby had merely cut Sam's palm and dropped the blood on Dean. Then, as Ruby was apt to do, she had disappeared without a trace.

And now they were on a city road, listening to Hotel California, and silently fuming about the hoaxed house. Thunder had been grumbling for about ten minutes, and they saw flashes of lightning in the distance.

They hadn't said a word since angrily storming out of the Dutch Colonial house in Upper New York. They'd been driving for four hours, and they were almost out of the city when Sam spoke.

"Isn't this song about a Satanic Church?" he asked.

Dean raised his eyebrows. It was a marvel that his brother knew about rock and roll history. Yet if it tied with hunting, then he probably know a little something about it.

"Yeah." Dean said.

"Maybe we should go there and investigate." Sam said with a yawn.

Dean shook his head, but said nothing. It was dark now and they were fully outside of the city. They were driving past a lonely strip of farm lands when Dean happened see a sign up ahead.

"Take Next Left to Lockley Bed and Breakfast." it read.

"That sounds comfortable." he said to Sam. His little brother looked over and read the sign.

"We'd better have the money for this." he said.

Dean chuckled. "Don't worry your pretty little head about money, Sammich. We've still got that nice little bonus from Ruby."

That much was true enough. During their case with the japanese ghost, they'd been given a package at their motel from Ruby. A package that had contained precisely two thousand dollars in cash, along with a note that said "A little something from me, as a token that I'm sorry for getting Dean killed."

Sam had been all for looking for Ruby to thank her, but Dean had said in a very cryptic way, that Ruby would come back when they needed her the most. In other words, Ruby was saving their asses all the time.

Dean took the left hand turn and they were soon driving down an identical patch of highway. This went on for about five minutes, as lightning became more frequent and thunder roared even louder.

They followed another sign to a short drive way surrounded by trees. At the end of the drive was a three storey Victorian house, complete with attic windows. A sign post stood close to the house, but the sign had fallen off. And there were no other cars around.

Dean stopped the car and the two of them got out, noticing that the wind had picked up and the tops of the trees were swaying dangerously. They ran to the front porch and knocked on the door. No answer. Dean rolled his eyes and pounded on the door. Still no answer. Rain started to cascade in buckets and Sam groaned.

"This place hasn't been open in years." Sam informed his brother.

Dean groaned and kicked the side of the house. "Shit!" he hopped up and down in pain, as he felt his toe swell up. Sam bit his lip. This storm had just started, there was nobody in the house and Dean was irratable. He didn't really want to admit it, but they had no other choice than to spend the night at this place, because he didn't like to drive with an angry Dean and in a violent storm.

But then again, empty houses often meant something else for them. More than likely there was something lurking in one of the upstairs rooms. Then again, they'd faced worse in their lives. And they had their weapons.

"I think it's time for a litte B.A.E." Sam said, over the roar of the wind, the pounding of the rain, and the cracking of the thunder.

Dean looked up at his brother incredulously for a moment, before his face broke into a grin. "Alright," he said, "but what if there's something hiding in there?"

"We'll get the weapons just in case." Sam responded with a grin.

"Fine, but you're going out to get 'em." Dean smiled evily at the grimace that overtook his little brother's face.

"Rock, paper scissors." Sam said. Dean rolled his eyes, but complied. Sam won the first round, and Dean won the second. Their eyes locked. It was a fight to the death now. Rock...paper...scissors.

"Again with the scissors?" Sam asked with a smirk.

"Shut up!" Dean hissed, walking away.

"Jerk." Sam muttered.

"Bitch." Dean retorted.

Dean went into the torrential downpour and opened the trunk of the Impala. He pulled out the black case that contained guns, knives and other paraphanelia for battling demons. He dashed back to the front porch and set the case down...right on Sam's foot.

"OUCH!!" Sam hissed, prying his toes from under the case and glaring venomous daggers at his brother.

Dean shrugged and gestured to the foot that he had kicked the house with. "An eye for an eye, dude."

Sam rolled his eyes and took the knife that Dean handed him and began working at the lock. After several failed attempts, he finally managed to get it open, thanks to help from the lightning illuminating the door.

He stood up and pushed the door to. The wind was so fierce that the door blew open and slammed against the side wall, sending a resounding bang through the stillness of the house.

Both brothers waited in silence for several seconds, tense as bow strings, waiting for someone or something to make it's presence known. However, there was nothing, so Sam stepped over the threshold and into the cozy living room. Dean followed, shutting the door behind him. The noise of the storm was drowned out slightly, and the crack of the thunder seemed less alarming from inside the house.

The living room was furnished comfortably, with a plushy arm chair in front of a fire place and a small sofa next to it. There was also a rocking chair in the very farthest corner next to a curtained window. However, there was so much stuff cluttering the room. Flower pots on side tables, the flowers long wilted and dead, old blankets and pillows strewn helter skelter across the floor and furniture.

Dean and Sam moved cautiously to the kitchen, which looked just as disused as the living room, and even more cluttered. Dean strode over to the fridge and groaned. There was no food in here whatsoever.

"I'm pretty sure you can survive one night." Sam said in exsasparation.

Dean ignored that remark. "Should we check the upstairs?"

Sam glanced to the stairs. "I guess. I don't want to be intruding if somebody does actually live here."

They each took out their respective weapons and slowly went up the stairs, looking around cautiously. However, an investigation of the second floor and it's three rooms showed them nothing but more cluttered area and less signs of habitation.

"And the attic?" Dean looked over at the trapdoor that lead to the ceiling.

Sam bit his lip again. He had had too much experience with old attics in the past. But then again, he'd faced a lot worse than an empty, quiet house in a storm.

So he simply shrugged and Dean took that as a yes. He pulled the trap door down and climbed the wooden steps. The attic was extremely cluttered, with old sheets, wardrobe's, chests, mirrors and othet things that one would expect to find in any American attic.

He pulled his head out of the attic and walked back down the steps, pushing them back up when he was fully off the staircase.

"Nothin'." he reported. "The place is empty."

"Good. Let's go back to the living room and see if we can get some heat going."

The wood piled by the fire place was old, though it burnt well. In minutes, they had a cozy fire blazing. Sam thought briefly of the smoke from the chimney alerting any on lookers, but forced the thought from his mind. He was feeling to comfortable to think about hunting tonight.

Dean was staring at the blaze with a strange pained looks on his face.

"You okay?" Sam asked quietly. Dean nodded, still staring intently at the flames. Sam knew what this had to be about, and was scared to ask the question that had been burning in the back of his mind ever since Dean had snapped out of his feral form.

But now...what with the whole comfort and security of the scene, now seemed the perfect time to ask.

"Was...was it awful down there?" he asked timidly. Dean's face hardened and he turned to face his younger brother with the intent of snapping his head off. However, when he saw the sympathetic, nervous look on Sam's face, his face softened.

"Yes." he simply answered. "It...it was worse to watch other people. I think that they knew the circumstances of why I had summoned that Crossroads bitch. They didn't physically torture me...just emotionally."

Sam felt he was pushing his luck as he asked, "How?"

Dean's features tightened and Sam regretted pressing for imformation. His older brother stood up and grabbed two blankets off the back of the arm chair and threw them over himself. He turned away from Sam, curling up.

"It's not important, Sam." he said, anger in his voice. "And I'd rather not relive the experience if you don't mind."

"Dean...I didn't mean to...it's just...you know me...I've always been asking questions. You remember when I was five, that's all I would do..."

Dean's eyes snapped open as a rush of emotion swept through him. Sam, lying motionless on bed, his head to one side, Dean sitting on a chair beside him, crying...

_You know when we were little...and you couldn't have been more then five...you just started asking questions...remember, I begged you to quit asking Sammy...I didn't want you to know...I was trying to protect you..._

Dean snarled and sat up, turning to face Sam, who looked un nerved.

"Look," he began, breathing heavily, trying to control his anger, "it was awful. All they would do was taunt and torment me. They'd show me things that were happening above. That you were happy and enjoying life without me...that you...you were happy that I'd gone..." his voice choked and turned away, feeling a burning behind his eyes.

Sam sat there, staring at Dean, his eyes wide and full of fear and sorrow, making him look like a frightened five year old again.

"Dean..." he said in a voice higher than normally, "I'm...how could you think that I'd be happy?"

"Gee, I dunno." Dean snapped backed sarcastically. "I was sort of in Hell. I didn't know what to believe, and I was at the point where I was going to give in..."

He stopped himself. He wasn't going to go there. He wasn't about to tell Sam why he had fought back and clawed his way out of that horrible, terrifying place.

Sam let the subject drop, and instead, turned to stare into the fire. He stared at it, wondering what had happened to Dean and trying to imagine what it would be like to be shown those things. He shook his head, snatched a few blankets off the floor and curled up on the sofa and was soon asleep.

The wind picked up, even though the lightning and thunder died down. The fire sank lower until it was just a glowing mass of coals in the fireplace. The trees whipped back and forth, as though dancing madly in the wind and the rain splashed against the windows.

Dean's face twitched in his sleep. Images were flashing in his mind, of Ruby and Sam standing over him as his chest tore open, laughing at him and kissing each other.

He gasped and his eyes snapped open. The living room was dark, and the storm was raging, although without any thunder or lightning. He let out a breath and sat up groggily. Glancing at his digital watch, he saw that it was passed one o clock in the morning.

After that kind of dream, he wasn't about to go back to sleep.

"Sam." he said, shifiting position in the chair. No answer, which he had expected, as his brother was fast asleep. He sat up straight and turned to the sofa.

Sam wasn't there.

Dean stood up, looking tensely around. Where the hell could he have gone? He looked out the window. The Impala was still there, and Sam's shoes were still beside the sofa where he'd left them. Dean reached for the gun on the table beside the arm chair. He stood up.

"Sammy?" he called louder. There was a thud from upstairs.

_Yahtzee._ Dean thought, as he took the stairs two at a time. Maybe this house wasn't so empty after all...

oooOOOoooOOOoooOOOooo

She walked through the storm, ingnoring the cold wind. She could feel something in this area, along with a particular feeling that they were around here.

Those feelings mingled often meant trouble and she still hadn't forgiven herself for what had happened to Dean. Even though they had said that the money and bringing Dean back from his primal self had been enough, she still didn't feel like she'd done enough.

Ruby took in a deep breath of air. There was a strange feeling in the air alright. It wasn't very strong, as a matter of fact it was so faint that she could just barely detect it. She didn't know what it was right now, but it was a baddie alright.

She walked down the highway and noticed the sign that read "Take Next Left to Lockley Bed and Breakfast."

The scent of the Impala invaded her nostrils. They'd come this way. And she knew exactly where she'd find them, as well as the source of the faint demonic scent.

She just hoped that the Sam and Dean didn't meet up with that source.

**oooOOOoooOOOoooOOOooo**

**Okay, there we go. I used that quote from All Hell Breaks Loose because it was a very touching scene.**

**As to what "sugar cane" means, I use it to describe a very strong brotherly scene between Sam and Dean that isn't Wincest. **

**I'll update as soon as I can.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you to SUPRNTRAL LVR for your review. I wasn't thinking of this as a sequel to anything, but now that you mention it, writing a prequel to this would be fun, so that's what I'll do next. Again, I don't own Sam or Dean.**

**oooOOOoooOOOoooOOOooo**

Sam had awoken to the wind whipping through the living room. At least, he thought it was the wind. When he had got up to check out the window, he had found it firmly shut. Dean was still asleep in the arm chair. Due to their recent squabble, he didn't really want to wake his brother up for something as trivial as a false alarm.

He had gone back to the sofa, and was just falling asleep, when he heard a whisper of wind again. Although it didn't sound only like the wind. This time it really did sound like someone whispering something to him. He got to his feet, grabed his gun and looked around the darkened room. He could see nothing at first glance, but that wasn't much to go on.

Clearing his throat, Sam muttered, "_Phasma phasmatis ostendo."_ There was a ripple in the air, but nothing appeared. Again he repeated the latin phrase that means "Spirit reveal" but nothing appeared. He didn't want to shoot at the ripple just in case he woke Dean up and caused a panic.

He heard a noise from one of the upstairs rooms. It sounded like a high pitched laughing. A gleam of triumph flashed across Sam's eyes as he headed up the stairs, following the giggling. It was coming from the last room on the left. Sam pressed himself against the wall, gun at the ready, and took a deep breath. He heard the giggling noise again and kicked the door open, holding his gun at the ready.

The room, which he and Dean had studied earlier, contained just as much junk as the living room. This time there was someone else in the room. She had black hair that reached passed her shoulders.

She turned and Sam's breath caught in his throat.

It was Madison.

"Hello Sam." she said with a small smile.

Sam lowered the gun. He couldn't believe it. Madison was dead. He'd been the one who had shot her at her request.

But Madison smiled and walked toward him. She looked just as beautiful as ever, but there was something slightly eerie about her. He hair seemed to be stirring as though in a strong breeze and her smile looked more like a smirk. She was wearing a white dress that flowed around her and her eyes were shining in the darkness.

When she was directly in front of him, Madison stopped walking and her face fell into a pout. "Don't you believe it's me?" she asked.

Sam shook his head. "You're dead."

Madison giggled again. "What does that have to do with anything? You know that the dead sometimes don't stay dead."

Sam glared at her, knowing that she was reffering to Dean.

"I'll prove to you that it's really me." Madison said. She brought her face closer to his and pressed her lips to his in a passionate kiss. Sam felt his lips part and his knees grow weak as all the memories of Madison came flooding back to him.

Madison's kiss grew more demanding, and Sam actually felt her teeth nip at his lips. He growled and threw her off of him. She stumbled and fell against the bed.

"Bastard." she hissed. "I thought you loved me!"

"I don't." Sam spat. "I _loved _the real you."

Madison growled. Then she laughed, a shrill noise that made the hair on the back of Sam's neck stand on end. "Don't worry baby." she said, her voice airy and insane, "I did something just for you."

The door behind Sam slammed shut and he heard the lock click. Madison laughed even more as his fingers scrabbled at the handle. He turned, livid, to face her. She merely nodded to the closet.

Keeping his gun directed at Madison, Sam crept to the closet and put his hand on the knob. He took a deep breath, and all noise of the raging wind from outside seemed extinguished. All he could hear was his own heart beat, which was thudding in his chest. He pulled the door open.

Sam staggered back and hit the ground and his older brother's body fell out of the floor, blood streaked along his face, his eyes wide and empty.

Downstairs, in the living room, the real and alive Dean had heard the thud of Sam falling to the floor.

oooOOOoooOOOoooOOOooo

Dean made his way silently up the stairs, poking each door open. He couldn't tell where the thud had come from, but he knew that he was bound to find it one way or another.

When he got to the last room on the left, he found the door locked. That wasn't right. All the doors had been unlocked when they had checked the rooms earlier. He jiggled the handle, hopefully making his presence aware to anything on the other side.

Nothing happened.

"Sam?" Dean called.

Still nothing.

oooOOOoooOOOoooOOOooo

On the other side of the door, Sam heard someone call his name, but that did not phase him. He could only stare in horror at his dead brother, his mind shattered. This was impossible! Dean couldn't be dead, not when he had just gotten him back! Dean...couldn't be dead...because Dean was downstairs, asleep. Sam had seen him and he hadn't been followed up the stairs.

He turned his head to stare at Madison, who was grinning evilly.

"After you went up the stairs, I snuck in through the living room window. You know how fast I can climb. I did it all for you, Sammy." she said.

Sam gave a sob of anger and tried to lunge at Madison, but his knees were too weak.

"YOU'RE LYING!!" he cried.

Madison only laughed.

"If you want, you can go and see for yourself." Sam heard the door lock click. He got shakily to his feet and pushed the door open.

There was nothing on the outside. He stumbled blindly down the stairs to the living room, terrified that Madison would be right.

The arm chair was situated in such a way that it's back was to the stairs. Slowly, achingly, Sam made his way to it, his breath coming in ragged gasps. He closed his eyes, not wanting to look. He leaned his head over the front of the chair and slowly opened his eyes.

He gave a howl of despair. The blankets were a shredded mess, blood staining them and the chair. The window was slapping open and shut, letting the howling wind in.

Sam fell to the ground, his gun dropping. He fell into the shadows of the chair, hiding himself from view and holding his arms around his knees.

Dean was gone...again. And the Crossroads Demon had been killed. There was no way to get Dean back this time, not even if Sam had been inclined to sell his soul.

Tears formed behind his eyes, and her let his head fall to his knees, giving himself over to complete and total misery.

oooOOOoooOOOoooOOOooo

Dean had passed over the locked door and opened the trap door to the attic. He knew that there was a slim chance of finding Sam here if the attic door had been closed that quickly.

The attic was dark, vast and opressive. Anything could be hiding in here, and without his brother to cover him, Dean felt incredibly vulnerable. He looked cautiously into the nearest shadows first, but found nothing.

He heard a bang from close behind him and wheeled around, and realised that a door had been flung open from back in the hall. He practically fell down the steps, and caught sight of the once locked door, swinging wildly in the wind.

Dean peered into the room. There was absolutley nothing there. Thinking that  
Sam had gone back to the living room, if he had even been behind the locked door, Dean dashed down the stairs and scanned the living room. Nothing but deep shadows. The window next to his chair was open, and slamming in the wind.

He sighed and was about to turn around when he felt a strange sensation. He looked back at the room, feeling that something was watching him, something just beyond his range of vision. It was the most un-settling feeling he had ever experienced.

Dean backed up the stairs and hastily made his way back to the attic. That was the only place, besides the kitchen, that Sam could be hiding in.

Gun held in front of him, Dean prowled the dusty furniture, his eyes darting back and forth between anything that looked like a possible hiding place.

He was starting to get more and more worried, as well as pissed off.

"Jesus, Sam." he said, "stop playing hide and seek. Look...I'm sorry for biting your head off earlier...there...I said it...now stop hiding from me."

That was when he noticed it. A scaley, sickly grey demon moving from between two cupboards. Dean cocked the gun and shot.

Glass shattered, the image of the demon fell to pieces. Something fell to the ground. Dean cursed himself. He'd shot a mirror. But he had managed to hit something. He walked cautiously forward.

At the same time, lightning flashed, illuminating the entire attic. And Dean saw what he had hit.

And it wasn't a demon...

oooOOOoooOOOoooOOOooo

Ruby was making her way down the highway that turned from the sign. Lightning had picked up and the wind whipped her hair, making her look like a ghost.

She was more eager to find Sam and Dean than ever before. Because she had identified the scent of the demon. And knowing the two brothers, she was becoming more and more fearful for their safety.

She fingered the dagger that was attached to the belt at her side.

This was definetly a battle that they couldn't fight alone. What was just as possibly even more worse was that this demon, this thing that she was sure was where they were, was going out of it's way to seperate Sam and Dean.

"United we stand...divided we fall." Ruby whispered, as she saw the thick mass of trees and the nearby turn in a flash of lightning.

She was almost there. She just hoped that they could hang on.

**oooOOOoooOOOoooOOOooo**

**There we go. I hope that's not too confusing. If it is, just tell me and I'll elaborate a little in the next author's noter.**

**Keep the reviews coming, please.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you to SUPRNTRL LVR for your reviews and to all the people who are favoriting and putting this on alert. To be honest, this isn't going to be a very long story, I don't think it's going to go over five or six chapters. But there's another story I want to do and then the prequel to this, which is going to be a lot longer. **

**Thank you to my History class for making me feel like I want to sink into the ground today when I chose "Wincest" for our Jeopardy team name. It was completely accidental. **

**oooOOOoooOOOoooOOOooo**

Dean's heart stopped. His blood frooze. He felt as though somebody were squeezing his heart with an iron hand.

Sam was lying in front of him, blood pouring out of his chest. He must have been behind the mirror when Dean shot at the demon.

Dean fall to his knees, dropping the gun as he went.

"Sam...no..." he put his shaking hands to his brothers chest, holding tears back with immense difficulty. "It's okay...I...I can fix this..." he had no idea what he was saying. All he knew was that he wanted to let Sam know that he was sorry, that he was going to make things better.

And the hardest part for him, besides the fact that Sam was still alive and clinging alive, was that he had been the one who had fired the shot.

Sam made an awful, pitiful noise. He was struggling for air.

Dean's hands flew around the bullet hole in Sam's chest, his fingers staining with the blood that would not stip spilling out of his brother's chest.

"Come one Sam," Dean said, not restraining the tears, the fear and pain thick in his voice. "It's okay...we've been through worse. C'mon Sammy...SAM!" Dean grabbed Sam by the shoulders and pulled him into a half sitting position, holding his body close to him.

Dean gave a howl, a noise that ripped through the attic like a thunder bolt. "GOD DAMMIT, DON'T DO THIS TO ME PLEASE!" He cradled Sam's head against his chest.

Sam's breathing became more and more ragged. A line of blood was trickling out of his mouth.

And then, as Dean pulled him closer, Sam said one word.

"_Murderer."_

Dean's eyes widened. He looked down at Sam, who's pale, blood soaked face had a new look on it, one that made Dean feel as though his very soul had flown out of his chest. There was hate blazing in Sam's eyes. His head lolled back. His breathing stopped.

"Sam...Sammy...SAM!!" Dean's roar bounced off the walls of the attic, and was followed by a deafening crash of thunder. Dean fell forward, Sam still clutched in his arms. His face fell into his brother's bloody chest, and he let himself be consumed by grief.

Sam was gone again. There was no way to get him back now. The Crossroads demon was dead. He couldn't, and wouldn't sell his soul. Sam, wherever he was now, would hate him forever for that.

Strange, that a house so seemingly innocent, and such normal circumstances as the wrong place and the wrong time had contributed to the downfall of the Winchester brothers.

oooOOOoooOOOoooOOOooo

Sam had been crouched in the shadows of the fireplace, not caring that the storm was picking up. He might have been sleeping, or he might have just been existing, when he heard the shot from upstairs, followed by the shatter of glass.

He hadn't moved when first he'd heard it. But then, came a sound that had made him jump to his feet. Somebody, and he knew instantly who, had called, no not called, _cried _his name.

He raced up the stairs, following the continued cries. He'd never heard Dean sound that way. It was frightening.

Sam pulled the trapdoor down, just as thunder crashed. As common sense regained him, he slowed down and took the steps one at a time. Dean might not have been dead at the first sight. Madison could have moved him to the attic after finding that he was still alive.

Peering over the edge, Sam saw a huddled figure next to a shattered mirror. He crept forward, preparing to fight if it was Madison. However, when he saw who it really was, he practically ran forward.

And then he stopped dead.

It _was _Dean. Only there was something wrong with the whole picture. Dean's face was resting on the chest of a body that was covered in blood. The side of Dean's face was shining scarlet and he was...crying.

Sam cautiously drew forward.

Dean moved his head to look up. And Sam saw who the body was. He was staring at himself.

oooOOOoooOOOoooOOOooo

Ruby had been walking swiftly up the drive, and was in full view of the house when two things happened at once.

First, she heard the sound of a bullet over the roar of the wind. She'd looked worriedly toward the attic windows, praying that something untoward hadn't happened to Sam or Dean.

She'd broken into a run, when she'd been flung violently through the air. After landing on the hard, wet earth, she'd turned to face her assailant, un-sheathing her dagger, only to find that the attacker was none other than herself, except with brilliant white eyes.

"Lilith." Ruby whispered. She propelled herself toward the demon, holding her dagger in front of her. Lilith side stepped the attack, and Ruby was thrown of balance.

Lilith charged, tackling Ruby to the ground and grabbing her neck in a choke hold. Ruby felt her fingers loosen off the dagger's handle, as the air was crushed from her body.

She stared up at the demon bitch, who was grinning evilly.

"Poor little Ruby." she said, "you were so damn close this time. But in the end, you couldn't save your precious Winchester's."

Ruby felt anger rush through her, and Lilith was thrown off her in the force of Ruby's telekentic rage. She rarely used that particular demon ability, but this was a desperate time.

Without a pause, Ruby grabbed her dagger and threw it directly at Lilith. It passed through her neck, and she vanished like the mist.

Ruby stared in bewilderment. Surely, a demon of Lilith's power wouldn't have been killed so easily. Something wasn't a right.

_Of course it's not right._ She thought, giving herself a mental kick. Nothing was right when it came to this demon.

An unsettling cry broke the night. She looked at the attic windows, and remembered her purpose. Dean was in trouble...or pain, which ever the two. Ruby held her dagger tightly in her hand and ran with all force, concentrating intently on the house. Without a pause, she kicked herself off from the porch and flew through the air, kicking the attic window.

She thudded to the wooden floor, and took in her surroundings. Dean was staggering to his feet, the side of his face soaked with blood. Sam's body was on the ground, blood covering the front of his clothes.

And yet...Sam was also standing in front of Dean, his hands up, backing away.

"Dean...it's me..." he said, his voice full of fear, "C'mon, just put the gun down."

"No...you're not going to trick me..." Dean threatened, brandishing the gun at the Sam. Ruby looked between the two Sam's, and understanding rushed through her.

She took a step forward.

"Dean...please..." Sam pleaded, his eyes widened.

Ruby opened her mouth to call out to Dean, but any noise she might have made was drowned in the second shot of the night.

All she saw was the bullet strike Sam in the stomach, blood issuing out of the wound. His hands went instinctively to his stomach, and he looked up at his brother, confusion in his eyes.

Sam took a step forward, reaching out to his older brother with one hand. Then, he stumbled, and fell sideways, blood pouring out of his mouth.

Dean staggered back, and tripped over his own feet. The gun went flying from his hand and landed at Ruby's feet.

The scent reached Ruby's nostrils, the same one she'd detected earlier that night. She turned around, to where the first Sam's body had been. Except there was no Sam there.

There was nothing there, just as Ruby had expected.

Ruby took a step toward Dean, who was clutching his real brother's body, his face streaked liberally with blood and tears.

"Dean..." Ruby said softly. Dean did not look away, but Ruby could tell he had heard him.

"Listen to me," she continued, "you can beat this. This...it..." It's what? Not real? She'd have used that if Dean had still been by the fake Sam, but this...this was real.

And yet...she knew there was still hope. She'd dealt with something like this long ago, and had been just as confused then.

"Dean...you have to tell me what you're afraid of..." she continued, moving closer to the destroyed man.

Dean looked up at her, his eyes pleading and full of grief. For a moment, Ruby thought he wouldn't answer.

And then, in a raspy voice thickened with tears, Dean uttered one word.

"Sam."

**oooOOOoooOOOoooOOOooo**

**And the plot thickens...**


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry for the delay. I was busy in school and my computer is being retarded. I originally I had this chapter about half way done. I went to get a drink and my comp restarted itself without saving the file. The original was really well done, so sorry if this isn't as good.**

**oooOOOoooOOOoooOOOooo**

Ruby was shocked for a moment.

"Dean...I don't understand. What do you mean? You're...afraid of Sam?"

Dean said nothing, but clutched Sam's body closer to him.

Ruby stared at him for a moment, and then realized what he meant. Dean wasn't afraid of Sam. He was afraid of Sam dying. And what was more, he was afraid of killing Sam.

The shock of this revelation made Ruby step closer to the destroyed Winchester.

"Dean..." she didn't what to say. _This isn't real? _Well that was useless. This was real. It hadn't been real when the other Sam had been shot. The demon that was responsible for this was probably laughing itself to pieces somewhere.

As a matter of fact, she could hear a deep, slow chuckle from behind her. Ruby unsheathed her dagger and flung it with all force at the source of the laughing. She caught a brief glimpes of a man in a black sweater and jeans leaning against the opposite wall before he disappeared and the dagger thudded into the wall.

Ruby snarled and stepped forward and wrenched her dagger from the wall. She scanned the attic briefly, before kneeling next to Dean's shaking form.

"Dean...look...this...you can fix this."

Dean didn't answer.

"You have to tell me what you're afraid of. If you do...you can undo this whole thing...Sam'll be okay."

"No he won't."

Ruby looked up. The Fear Demon was whispering into Dean's ear, his face the identifiable sign of glee at someone's misery.

"She's lying to you. There's nothing you can do. You killed your brother." he whispered.

"No I'm not!" she yelled, glaring lividly at the Fear Demon.

"She is. There's nothing you can do."

Ruby yelled in anger, grabbing her dagger and flying forward. She caught the Fear Demon off guard and they were both sent tumbling backwards. The Fear Demon's shoulder slammed into one of the wooden pillars that supported the roof.

Ruby raised her dagger and plunged it into the Fear Demon's heart. It did nothing, as she had expected. All she wanted to do was stall for time.

The Fear Demon kicked Ruby in the stomach, and she flew through the air, hitting an ancient dresser. She slid painfully to the ground, only to see the Fear Demon leaning over Dean again.

oooOOOoooOOOoooOOOooo

Dean's face was streaked with tears and blood. He was aware of a fuzzy sound from somewhere close by. It sounded like someone trying to talk to him. He didn't care. He didn't want to hear anything anymore.

_You're a murdering son of a bitch Dean. You killed your own brother._

That made sense to him. He had killed Sam. He'd pulled the trigger and seen the look of shock as the bullet had thudded into his stomach.

_Yes, you pulled the trigger and shot him. And now Sam hates you. _Of course Sam hated him. Why wouldn't Sam hate him. Dean hadn't been their to protect him whenever Sam had gotten posessed or hurt during hunts. He hadn't been there to stop that demon from stabbing Sam. Dean knew that he'd destoryed Sam when he'd been taken by the hellhounds. Dean had seen Sam from Hell. Why couldn't he be a better older brother?

_Because you're a selfish, self serving prick._

Of course he was. This voice was right. Dean was always more interested in what he wanted. He never thought that much about Sam's wants and needs, except for those few moments of down time. Dean was always going out to get laid, or drunk whenever he could find the time. But what about Sam?

_You're only sad now because you're seeing yourself for the ass that you are. You're only grieveing because you're afriad of being alone because you actually have to take care of yourself._

Yes...yes...it was all true. Tears renewed themselves as Dean threw his head back and yelled for all the heaven's to hear him. The fuzzy voice said something again, but he couldn't hear it.

"I'm sorry Sam!!" he cried, "I'm so sorry!! I didn't deserve you as a brother. I should've just stayed in hell!!"

_Yes, you should have._

Dean continued to drink in everything the whispering voice told him.

But then there was a new sound. It wasn't a whisper, or a garbled pleading. It was a soft sound. Whoever was talking was struggling to breath.

Dean looked down.

Sam's eyes were half open.

And for some reason he was smiling weakly.

"No..." he breathed, "you're...a very good brother...you're always there...when I need you...but...then again...that's the greatest thing...you're always there...it...doesn't matter what you do...if you're...drunk...or getting laid...as long as you're the one doing it...as long as you're there..."

Silence filled the attic, even the raging wind seemed to quiet down. Dean gazed at Sam, who was still smiling.

''Sammy..."

"You said it to me...when I found you when you were feral...remember?"

And Dean did remember.

_Sam was backed up against the cold wall of the crypt, his eyes wide as the wolfish looking Dean prowled towards him on his knuckles. Sam had seen him kill that truck driver. Sam closed his eyes, bracing himself for death. A gentle hand touched his. He opened his eyes. Dean was looking imploringly at him._

_"Don't...be...afraid..." he begged in a dis jointed voice._

"Don't be afraid..." Dean repeated. He looked down at Sam, who gave a gulp, sucking in as much air as he could.

Then several things happened at once. The Fear Demon gave an enraged roar. The window that Ruby had smashed open came off it's hinges and went flying across the room, sending even more chill wind into the attic.

But all Dean could concentrate on was what was happening in front of him. There was an odd squealshing noise and something small and silver fell out of the hole in Sam's stomach. The puncture seemed healed, even though there was a ton of blood covering Sam by this point.

Sam opened his eyes fully.

And this time he really did smile.

Ruby raced forward. "I knew you could beat it." she said happily. They stared up at her.

"That's all wonderful and everything." came a cold voice from behind them. All three turned to stare at the Fear Demon, whose fists were clenched. "But you've forgotten one important thing...I'm still here."

Ruby gripped her dagger tighter.

"That's going to be taken care of very quickly." she threatened, as Sam helped Dean to his feet.

The Fear Demon smiled.

"I like a good game." he said.

**oooOOOoooOOOoooOOOooo**

**And there we have it. I know it's a little shorter than the others, but I don't want this to be a four chapter story. I think there's at least one or two left.**

**Please review. **


	5. Chapter 5

**Okay, I'm back after a who knows how long break. I want to get this done so I can work on the prequel and then another thing I have planned. The prequel is finished in planning, and it was the first fanfic I've ever planned in my life, so that's saying something. I'm so excited for the premiere tomorrow night!!**

**oooOOOoooOOOoooOOOooo**

Dean, Sam and ruby all faced the Fear Demon, thier faces set. Ruby kicked her dagger, which was on the floor by her feet, into the air and into her hand.

"No more fear mongering bitch." she said forcefully.

The Fear Demon only chuckled at that. "You know that you can't kill me yet.''

Sam and Dean glanced at Ruby, who's jaw was set grimly.

"He's right." Ruby said grudgingly. "Only two of us have over come our fear."

"Very good." the Fear Demon said with a mock clap. Then, before they could do anything but blink, he disappeared in a whirl of black smoke.

"Damn it!" Ruby snarled. She turned to Sam. "You've gotta do this." she said. "You're the one who has to face your fear."

Sam, his face caked with blood and dirt, looked worried.

"You already know what it's going to do." Ruby said.

Sam turned to Dean. "That still isn't going to make it any easier to bear."

Dean smiled weakly at Sam.

"C'mon Sasquatch." he said, putting his hand on Sam's shoulder. "You'll be fine. Ruby and I will be right behind you."

Sam smiled weakly.

"He's probably downstair somewhere." Ruby said. "And seeing as how he knows that you know how to beat him, he's probably going to pull out all the stops to break you down."

Sam nodded and then turned and faced the stairs. Dean and Ruby were right behind him as he walked down the steps. He looked around. The Fear Demon would more than likely be hiding somewhere that he was more than likely to walk in to.

The wind was still raging outside, and Sam felt as though the very house were shaking around him. He heard a noise off to his right. The first room from the staircase. He looked over his shoulder.

Dean and Ruby both nodded.

Sam kicked the door open and faced his fear.

As soon as he stepped into the room, the door slammed behind him and locked. He could hear Dean and Ruby pounding on it from the outside.

And that was a little odd, seeing as Dean was also in the room, facing Sam with an expression of disgust on his face. Sam knew better than to think that this was actually his brother.

"You're looking healthy." Dean said with a sneer. Sam knew that was a jibe, seeing as he was covered in his own blood and the dust from the attic.

"You aren't real." Sam said simply.

Dean scowled. "You think that makes a difference?"

"Yes, I do."

The Fear Demon chuckled. "Oh it does. Just because you have an idea of how to face me, doesn't mean that you'll win. I still have ways of making you fall."

Sam said nothing and the Fear Demon laughed.

"You could have been more responsible you know." the demon continued. "You had to go and get yourself killed. If you hadn't, Dean wouldn't have had to sell his soul."

"Shut up." Sam snarled.

"What was it like to watch him die, helpless to do anything?"

Sam looked away.

"Did it look something like this?" the demon asked. A horrible yelling filled the air, a noise that made Sam's blood run cold. He'd heard that yell before. He forced himself to look up. The Fear Demon, in the shape of Dean, was rolling around on the ground, scratching at his chest as it tore open.

"STOP IT!" Sam shouted. The Fear Demon stopped rolling and was suddenly on it's feet, directly in front of him. HIs chest was still torn, showing the exposed muscle and bloos beneath.

"Look at what you did to him." the Fear Demon taunted. "You could've found some way to stop it."

"NO!!" Sam threw a punch at the demon, but he only seemed to propel himself backwards without moving his feet.

"YOU DID THIS SAM!! YOU KILLED HIM!! YOU TORMENTED HIM!!"

"I'M SORRY!!" Sam screamed.

"Oooh, he's sorry." the demon mocked. "HE'S SORRY, HE'S SORRY, HE'S SORRRRRRRYYYYY!!"

Sam screamed in rage and flung himself forward, but the demon only dodged and laughed further.

"Useless waste." he sneered.

Sam lay there, face down, breathing in the dust from the carpet. He needed to get a grip. This wasn't Dean. He knew that. But what he said was true. Dean hated him for getting himself killed and thus sending Dean to hell. Sam didn't blame Dean. And Dean...didn't...blame him...either.

He'd cried it in the attic. He was sorry.

Sam lifted his face to face the demon.

"You do care." he said simply.

The Fear Demon stopped laughing.

"You do care, I know you do." Sam repeated.

The Fear Demon leered at Sam. Suddenly, the disguise of Dean faded off of him and he was once more the form he'd been in the attic.

"You know," the demon said, "it's alot easier with people who don't even know each other."

The door behind them burst open and the real Dean and Ruby fell in. Regaining their composure, they both pointed their weapons at the Fear Demon, who merely rolled his eyes.

"Kill me." he sighed. "But I think the tacky blonde has a question for me."

Ruby glared at him, but conceded. "Where did you come from?" she asked with contempt. "All Fear Demons come from some sort of magic contract."

In answer, the Fear Demon pointed to Dean. "I was a by-product of his release from hell. Well, more like a stipulation."

At the blank looks from the three others, the Fear Demon sighed. "Even for someone as powerful as the one who set Dean free, there are still laws. If you let a person out of hell, you have to pay the toll. And I was that toll. I came back with them."

Ruby nodded. Then she glanced at both Sam and Dean, who nodded and pointed their guns at the demon. In one swift and unanimous movement, Sam and Dean fired their guns at the demon and Ruby threw her dagger.

The Fear Demon gave an awful screech, his mouth gaping wide and far beyond anything humanly possible. It stayed that way for a split second before disintegrating into a pile of white sand.

Sam, Dean and Ruby simply stared for a brief moment. Then Ruby smiled.

"Let's get the hell out of here." she sighed. In silence, they all walked out of the house, Dean grabbing the weapon case as they headed to the door.

The wind was fierce and the whole front area smelled of rain and wet pine trees. Yet for some reason, as soon as they stepped off the porch, the wind instantly died down.

"Figures." Dean muttered. He turned to Sam and Ruby. He looked at the blood on Sam's chest and pulled his younger brother into a tight hug. As soon as he released Sam, he turned to Ruby, who's eyes widened. Before she could do anything, Dean had pulled her into a tight hug. Ruby actually gave a squeak of shock. Dean released her.

"You're always saving our asses." he said. "And you can't tell me that it's because you feel guilty. You had nothing to do with my death."

Ruby sighed. "Alright, maybe I've gotten fond of the two of you. I'm not the only demonic being that has."

Sam and Dean gaped at her.

"Wait a minute." Dean said. "That Fear Demon said something about the person who let me out having a lot of power. Is it the same demon?"

Ruby, with the air of one who's said too much, shifted nervously. "Yes, they're the same."

"Who is it?" Sam pushed.

Ruby bit her lip. "I'm not supposed to tell you."

"You mean...you know this person?" Dean asked in amazement.

Ruby nodded. "Yes, and so do you, though you've never met them directly."

Still, the two brothers looked puzzled. Ruby rolled her eyes.

"Is...he more powerful than Lilith?" Sam asked.

Ruby scoffed. "Who said it's a he? And yes, _she's _more powerful than Lilith. Why does it always have to be a man who's powerful?"

"I never meant that." Sam said hastily.

"I know. Look, when the time comes, I'll tell you. Or maybe she'll tell you directly. Just know this. She's someone you've never met face to face, but you both definetly have heard of her."

Dean decided to let it drop.

"Well, thanks for everything. If you hadn't shown up..." his voice trailed off and Ruby nodded.

"I know. But if you think about it, you were the one who pulled yourself away from his influence."

"Where will you go now?" Sam asked.

Ruby smiled. "Don't worry. I'll always be close behind you." And with that, she ran with all speed through the trees and into the night.

"I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing." Sam said.

Dean smiled. "Given all that's happened with her, I'd say it's a good thing. I'd still like to know who let me go free though."

Sam shrugged. Then he turned to face his older brother.

Dean's smiled faltered. He looked at his little brother. "Sam...I-"

"Don't" Sam shook his head. "Everything that we needed to say to each other was said tonight. Maybe that's why it happened."

"Yeah...but...Jesus Christ Sammy, I shot you."

"Well, I wasn't exactly thrilled with that either, but you were confused."

Dean smiled and pulled Sam into another hug.

After they climbed into the Impala, Sam turned to his brother.

"I'm surprised at you."

"Why?" Dean looked startled as they pulled out of the drive way.

"Well, I know how you get about sentimental moments. And this whole thing turned out to be one huge chick flick moment. OUCH!"

Dean had punched Sam's arm. But Sam didn't mind. As they drove down the highway and the sun crept up above the horizon, Sam knew that things had changed. And yet, they were still the same.

And that was perfectly fine with him.

**oooOOOoooOOOoooOOOooo**

**And there's the end. Please tell me what you think. Don't worry about the questions, such as the identity of the person who set Dean free. All will be revealed in the preqeul.**


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